High schools are new frontier for brand marketing, media

BY JOE FAVORITO

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

ON N.J. SPORTS MARKETING

It has been an issue for a long time. When does sports stop being a game and become "big time?" For years, tennis and golf and club sports outside of the United States have taken the club or academy route, allowing young people to turn pro when they could compete. With that comes pressure, media attention, sponsor endorsements and time management that accompany publicity and fame.

The scenario resembles the entertainment industry. And sports, after all, is entertainment. Correct?

Also for years, small town sports, especially basketball and football, have been the focal point of towns. It's what communities revolved around. Case in point: Friday Night Lights, Hoosiers, etc. etc.

Now with the growth of television and new media, the demands to capture that younger audience and families by brands takes the coverage of high school sports to a new level. ESPN's launch of regional websites and the launch in New York of MSG Varsity highlight a new level of coverage, branding and scrutiny brought to high school sports well beyond the borders of a local town.

The recent national success of Don Bosco Prep in football comes to mind along with top-notch programs like St. Anthony's of Jersey City and Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft.

The questions raised are ones of balance and preparation and at what cost? Yes, its true that for years sneaker companies have thrown dollars at elite prep schools to travel all over the country for basketball. But now with dedicated mainstream coverage, more websites and brands backing the outlets, is it worthwhile? One thing is for sure. The brands and the media entities launching the ventures see the same key thing in sports that news outlets are seeing: The consumer flocks more to local coverage than national coverage these days, and the more niche the better. The advances of news media have decreased production costs and increased the ability to access information, and thereby can drive new revenue streams for high schools much like they are being driven by colleges. People look at LeBron James and the ancillary revenue brought into Akron's St. Vincent-St.Mary's during his time there as invaluable in keeping the school going and getting much needed revenue in the door for all programs (read James' book Shooting Stars, with Buzz Bissinger to get more insight during high school days).

Can that happen on an even bigger stage now for high schools that are not elite? Or even more so, can elite high schools build sophisticated branding and media packages that they themselves can sell? Interesting question. And if they can, are the coaches and athletes properly prepared for the onslaught and pressure of that media coverage? Do the brands expect these coaches and athletes to deliver messages and understand the value they are expecting? How different will the elite high school coverage be from college coverage, and will brands use this to be more successful and cost efficient at reaching a core audience? Last year Burger King set out to own high school football like McDonald's owns high school basketball through a partnership with CBSSportsline. While that was one night a week of a featured game, the new outlets look to cover high school sports 24/7. And although there is certainly a huge amount of sports and stories to be covered, will the brands flock just to elite athletes and elite games?

The answers remain to be seen, but one thing is for sure. With the launch of mass media now covering high schools 24/7, the game of sponsorship and branding on the high school level could be changed forever.

Joe Favorito has over 23 years of strategic communications/marketing, business development and public relations expertise in sports, entertainment, brand building, media training, television, athletic administration and business. Visit him at JoeFavorito.com.